At the beginning of June, the National Shooting Sports Foundation announced that more than 2.5 million people had become first-time gun owners in the first half of 2020. NSSF data shows a record number of gun transactions 10.3 million were processed in the country during that time period. January to June 1 of 2020, was “unlike any other year for firearm purchases particularly by first-time buyers as new NSSF research reveals millions of people chose to purchase their first gun during the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Jim Curcuruto, the shooting foundation's director of research and market development, at the time. “First off,” Curcuruto wrote in a July 21 blog post, “approximately 90 percent of retailers reported an increase in firearm and ammunition sales during the first half of 2020 versus the first half of 2019. How big are those increases? Responding retailers noted that they are seeing a 95 percent increase in firearm sales and a 139 percent increase in ammunition sales over the same period in 2019.”

When you call the police because someone stole your “defund the police” sign... #reddit

Black Lives Matter DESTROYED by Science

Nine people including a nine-year-old boy were killed in Chicago this weekend and 25 were wounded, as the bloody summer in U.S. cities continues. Chicago police announced on Monday that a person has been arrested in connection with the boy's murder. A Wall Street Journal analysis of crime statistics among the nation's 50 largest cities found that reported homicides were up 24 per cent so far this year, to 3,612, with Chicago - the worst-hit - accounting for more than one of every eight homicides. The month of July saw a 139 per cent jump in murders in Chicago, compared to the same month last year. From January 1 through the end of July, there were 440 homicides in Chicago and 2,240 people were shot - a number that includes those killed. That compares to 290 homicides and 1,480 shootings in Chicago in the same period last year.

Mission
The men and women of the Orange County Sheriff's Department are dedicated to the protection of all we serve. We provide exceptional law enforcement services free from prejudice or favor, with leadership, integrity, and respect.

Core Values:
Integrity without compromise;
Service above self;
Professionalism in the performance of duty;
Vigilance in safeguarding our community.

General Information
The Orange County Sheriff's Department today is a highly professional organization, which not only continues in its traditional role of crime suppression, but also has expanded into the area of crime prevention. At the Orange County Sheriff's Department you can see the spirit of adventure and the same courage as the early settler had.

2 juveniles arrested in shooting of off-duty St. Louis officer | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/us/2-juveniles-st-louis-officer-shooting

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken, left, and Douglas Hurley are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, August 2, 2020. NASA/Bill Ingalls/Handout via REUTERS

A man in Florida reportedly purchased a brand new Porsche with a check he printed on a home computer — and then decided to splurge on some watches. Casey William Kelley, 42, cashed in the nearly $140,000 check at a local car dealership on Tuesday but was taken into custody one day later when he attempted to buy several Rolex watches at a jeweler in Miramar Beach with more bogus checks, according to the Palm Beach Post. He was subsequently arrested for grand theft of a motor vehicle and uttering a false bank note. After selling the car, a Porsche 911 Turbo, the dealership unsuccessfully tried to cash Kelley’s check and then reported the vehicle as stolen. The jeweler, however, opted to keep both the check and the watches until the money cleared. When the check came back as false, the cashier reported the crime to police — though Kelley was already in custody. He later admitted to authorities that he had printed the checks at home, police said.

A general view shows a protest near the Brandenburg Gate against the government's restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Berlin, Germany, August 1. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

An explosive wildfire that's caused thousands to evacuate from their homes in Southern California is sending smoke hundreds of miles to the east, giving residents in Arizona a bright red sun in the sky. The Apple Fire has scorched more than 32 square miles of dry brush in the mountains east of Los Angeles, after exploding in size over the weekend. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said as of Monday morning the blaze is only 5 percent contained after charring some 20,516 acres. The National Weather Service (NWS) said Sunday that a "large area of smoke" from the blaze was drifting over western Arizona. Satellite imagery showed a large swath of smoke from the wildfire covering the area. "This smoke extends from The Sea of Cortez, Lake Havasu, Phoenix, and Payson," the NWS forecast office in Flagstaff tweeted.

A police officer talks to demonstrators on the ground next to the Reichstag during a protest against the government's restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Berlin, Germany, August 1. REUTERS/Christian Mang

Ohio detectives are investigating a shooting that killed a 1-year-old child and wounded two adults Sunday night in Akron as the city sees an uptick in homicides. Police are seeking a pickup truck that may be involved in the shooting, which unfolded around 9:30 p.m. when a suspect fired multiple shots at a home, Akron police said in a news release. The 1-year-old baby was struck and rushed to Summa Akron City Hospital, where the child later died. The gunfire also hit a man and a woman, who both suffered wounds to their lower extremities, police said. They both were being treated at a hospital for injures that were not life-threatening. Detectives are asking the public for help in identifying the dark-colored pickup truck, which they believe is a Dodge Ram model. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip. The Summit County Crimestoppers, Call 330-434-COPS Text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637. Callers can remain anonymous.

Chicago Police: Motor Vehicle Theft | 66 W. Oak St. | 07/11/2020 09:41AM | JD293695.
Detectives are seeking to identify and locate the above Subject in regards to a Motor Vehicle Theft. The occupant of the vehicle is suspected of taking vehicle without permission from owner. There is no probable cause for arrest at this time. If you have any information related to this incident, please contact the following:
Bureau of Detectives (Area 3)
Detective Miller #20512
312-742-7456
Anonymous Tip Line WWW.CPDTIP.COM .
If you see this individual, DO NOT APPROACH, call 9-1-1.

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Taylor Ward runs against the Houston Astros during the game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, August 1. Mandatory Credit: Angels Baseball/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network